1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is concerned with a dispersion comprising a continuous fat phase and a dispersed gelled aqueous phase,, and a process for preparing such dispersion. In particular the present invention relates to the preparation of a water-in-oil dispersion of extremely low fat content, such as for instance a spread containing from 5 to 27 wt. % fat and a dispersed gelled aqueous phase.
2. Description of Related Art
In European patent application No. 0 237 120 spreads comprising less than 35 wt. % fat and a gel-forming aqueous phase having a relatively high viscosity are described. These spreads are prepared by admixing the aqueous phase and fat phase at a temperature of 60.degree. or 70.degree. C. and further processing the emulsion so obtained through two cooled C-units or alternatively through a sequence of two cooled A-units followed by a high shear mixer. European patent application No. 0 237 120 furthermore describes very low fat spreads containing substantial amounts of gelatin.
Gelatin is a gelling agent that gels very slowly. Accordingly, when gelatin is used in conventional processes for the preparation of spreads containing a gelling aqueous phase, a gelatin gel-structure is only formed after a fat-continuous emulsion has been obtained. In such processes during the in-line processing of the water-continuous gelatin-containing composition, the aqueous phase therefore has not yet developed a gel structure.
We have found now that stable water-in-oil dispersions having very advantageous properties can be prepared by cooling a gelatin-containing water-continuous composition to a temperature below the gel setting temperature for a sufficiently long period of time to allow the formation of a gel structure, subjecting said water-continuous composition to shear so as to convert it into small gelled aqueous beads and forming a fat-continuous dispersion.